As I wrote about in this post, each year I name my year to build ritual and consciously choose the path I want my life to take in the upcoming 12 months. 2016 was my Year of Being Brave.

Here are 12 quotes that represent the lessons that I’ve learned:

Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death. ~ Omar Bradley

Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it with use. ~ Ruth Gordon

It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. ~ J. K. Rowling

Life shrinks or expands according to one’s courage. ~ Anaïs Nin

You will learn a lot from yourself if you stretch in the direction of goodness, of bigness, of kindness, of forgiveness, of emotional bravery. Be a warrior for love. ~ Cheryl Strayed

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. ~ Nelson Mandela

Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light. ~ Brené Brown

Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage. ~ Maya Angelou

I have a duty to speak the truth as I see it and share not just my triumphs, not just the things that felt good, but the pain, the intense, often unmitigated pain. It is important to share how I know survival is survival and not just a walk through the rain. ~ Audre Lorde

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow. ~ Mary Anne Radmacher

Be the weirdo who dares to enjoy. ~ Elizabeth Gilbert

2017 is the Year of My (Up)Rising. I intend to put these lessons on bravery to good use as I get more active, focus on being an agent for change, and fight for the future I want.